Sinful Sounds In The Dark

se swallowe

ed into the bowels of the concert hall. The sound of the storm outside faded until

om. Not romantic. Not safe. A bar

lined with storage crates, broken instruments, and dust-thick mi

?" Lily asked

nswer. Not

om filled with sheet music, shattered candelabras, and more pianos-some co

s voice lower now. "Back when the theater

play here,"

ward her. His eye

Before they shut it down.

nside, taking it all

ough to be noticed. And rec

that didn't match the man on th

ge of a bench, her fingertips grazing t

pened?" s

g her. "I trusted the wrong person. Signed with the w

and

w much to tell. "Let's just say my music

m shifted again-tighter, more intimate.

t what it h

he still

re?" she whispered. "I

Because pain is louder in silence. At least down here

lt smaller. The tension s

. "Why did you walk into a stor

tly. "But the second I heard y

s on the keys. "And

out flinching. "Now I

fell-heavy

mouths were a breath apart. She could feel his hesitatio

didn't

t

d, "If you stay, Lil

ul

ding. And no runnin

hudded. "I

ll s

n he ki

gripped her waist as she melted into him, fingers curling into his shirt,

idn't

t anything thi

apart, her lips were s

now?" she aske

darkened, but not w

id, "we wake

led only with a date-six years ago. He slid it into a vintage

-singing. Softer,

voice joined

y f

The way they harmonized sounded like

?" Lily ask

t the player lik

ame wa

as

e first voice that ever und

but then the door above

both

assed. The

, deliberate-echoed

ned. "No one's suppos

se. "Wh

r behind a crumbling column, just

and a cruel smile. His eyes scanned

ges like a broken boy,

w clenched.

quiet, hea

d. "And I thought-surely, he wouldn't

into view. "And

"You're predictabl

do you

id. "To remind you that y

d. "You're not

didn't

widened. "Well. Th

y, refusing to be hidd

rest. "A fan? Or just another lost soul Ga

r concern," Ga

ally if she's gotten cl

rd, dangerous now.

re to break your toy. Just to remind you of

n turned and left, his footst

e, Lily exhaled. "Wha

oving behind his eyes. "That was the ma